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Overhauling my Planetary Colonies

My trader alt account had enough excess time not long ago to train and learn some planetary skills to lvl 4 as well, so we both learn the skills about the same time. Hey its passive Income why not. So due to that I can have him invest a little bit of ISK to set up 5 new planets. So went and setup on a somewhat small 6890km radius size Storm planet in a 0.5 system where currently have other active extraction planets.

Smallest planet personally seen so far is around 1980 km so not the smallest by far. Anyway dropped an Advance Command Center on a Storm planet and designed pins for Noble Gas extraction and process into Oxygen. Was overall happy about the design and minimal use of power connections to add as much extractors as possible considering the size of the planet.

Barren Planet - Old pin design

Old Barren Planet setup in a 0.8 system on a 2980 radius size planet.

Barren Planet - New pin design

Moved to a new Barren Planet 2030km radius size in a 0.5 system for Noble Metal extraction and process into Precious Metals. A few more planets to work on but so far I’m happy with a better design of my high sec planets for more efficiency with a new Command Center as well as increase extraction rates with much better planetary scanning skills. It would be much better extraction if had planets setup in say 0.0 space or low sec at least. But at this point I don’t need the hassle of trying to go in and out of low sec and 0.0 space not exactly an option at this point. WH space may be an option some day to do richer PI extraction and processing, but not quite there yet.

Plasma Planet - New pin design

Went ahead and overhauled my Plasma Planet I had in my current 0.7 system. It’s been a fairly good productive resource planet for extracting Suspended Plasma to refine into Plasmoids. Couldn’t find another good Plasma Planet with a good scan in any close by systems nor the system where most my other planets were, so decommissioned current setup, re-scanned planet and deployed a new upgraded Advance Command Center module.

The planet was 3460km radius so not too big which was also great. Was just going to design the pins just like the previous new pin design on new area scanned. Ended up turning surprisingly turning out like a triangle to my surprise. I had just under 800 MW power left after did the pins and links and couldn’t place an extractor nor a basic processor. But had just enough to place an Advance Processor module to use up the remaining power from the CC module. Fortunately starting things up didn’t overload any of the routes to the Launchpad but came close. Should be able to use the AP for some P2 processing at least. It then looked much like a triangle shape design. Had just 40 MW left over after everything was connected so efficient use of power connection to me with good extraction rate. So far looks like my best designed planet yet with increase extraction rate for my high sec Plasma Planet.

Thanks. As noted have mentioned all my PI colonies are in “high sec” space where i live. High sec Planets also having lower extraction rates than compared to low sec and very much lower rates compared to null sec space also.

Therefore extractor/processor ratio will be different compared to low sec and 0.0 space planets if you live and have planets setup in those space. At most so far with my experience the best extraction cycle I have been able to get on any my high sec planet setup is about 1275 units per cycle on 5hrs cycles, thats somewhere around 900 units per cycle on 23hrs cycles. On some planets it can be slightly or a bit lower.

I often run 5hr cycles when I can log in to check and 23hrs cycles during long work days I can’t long on much. This gives me time to build up buffer as needed or at times leave things running continuously for several hrs without extractor reset. On such times its good to have a bit of buffer built up.

From my experience with my setups the rates usually support about 3 extractors running full time with the ability to build up some buffer to continue running during the times I cannot restart extractor cycles.

However if your in low sec or null sec setting up planets its obvious your extractors/processor ratio will have be a bit different based on what cycle extraction your can get from that security space/planet. Designs can be similar in pin design to add efficiency for pin placement however what extractor/processor ration you choose to use will be up to you based on security space/planet type and scan and extraction cycle time whether 5, 23, 96 hrs.

Best place for PI though is most obviously 0.0 space since they have richer resource planets.

I run in highsec as well, run about 14 planets and make a sundry of P2-P3 products (tried P4 and towers, not worth it in high). I tend to run 23 hour extractors and shoot for 2 P1 products per planet keeping 1 Processor busy for 23 hours with some surplus to cover the gaps between when I can jump on and restart the extractors. So basically looking to extract 3000+ P0 items every 30 mins to keep up with the processors. Was curious how you were feeding 2-3 processors 6000-9000 units every 30 mins to keep them going. No I know but every 5 hours is a little excessive for me though. I find some planets yield far less than 900 per 30 mins on 23H cycles. I guess it’s all up to what you want to invest time wise.

I also run 2 of the 14 planets as processor only planets. I haul in P1 items to make 2 different sets of P2-3 products. I basically run these in alternating days because of limitations on some planet outputs. I sell surplus P1 products as well. Still making my own decisions if the P2-3 products net more than just selling the P1’s.

I can see what you mean there. Hmm getting at least 9000 units every 30 mins on extractor I can get and with current setup having enough extractors. My planets are only setup for 1 product high sec extraction only and setup for as much extraction as possible with the ability to keep 2-3 processors running for several hours even if extractors are not reset with the storage buffer. So far has worked well.

I would say my lowest performing planet is the recent one I did for Felsic Magma extraction. As Felsic Magma resource spots on the Larva planet yields some low extraction rates in high sec due to planet type and its at very low cycle extraction rates. For that planet Its setup to run just 2 processors only with as much extractors as possible about 14 or so + of those. Building up a buffer can even seem difficult with the planet type so when i can i run them at 5hr cycle to build up the raw material storage buffer if possible.

For my current PI my usual at this point is to just do P1 processing and occasionally some P2. But with some advance processors built in for future needs to do maybe P3 maybe. The PI market is a bit crazy at the moment and just waiting to see how things plays out. Have mostly have had most success with just P1 so far. I do think PI its promising future wise though. But for now mostly I’m just electing to do P1 with a bit more certainty of market price range.

Most my cycle range is 23hrs if I can set it so. Very rarely if ever i choose to do any 96hrs extraction as to me its not worth it. When I do 5hrs cycle extraction its usually on days or at time interval i know i’m at home or logged on playing so i can log on and reset extractors within a hour or two of them running out. Not too difficult for me to do.

If i’m going to be playing a while when I first log on and reset or restart up colonies I just reset them all for 5 hrs to get them going fast. From there I reset as need to 5hr cycles if i can be there to reset, if not 23hrs on work days since will be away from home at least 15hrs.

One the thing I have done is if some my planet setup can’t keep up when on a 23hrs cycle I have set maybe 1 out of 3 processors to complete idle by removing product routed to that extractor to keep 2 processors running full time. I find it better to keep 2 processors running smoothly vs 3 that run stopping and waiting for materials. But I reset as need. 10+ planets can be allot to manage and gets more complicated. I read about one player on the forum actively running 40 planets, I have no idea how a person does that but thats a job in itself.

Most my planets are fairly close to each other or just one system away to easy get to them and in systems I travel through so easy to keep eye on or haul stuff.

I need some of all 15 P1 products to build what I am building. 11 filter into one production planet and 10 into the other. Each set of items runs said processor planet for 23 hours. So I tend to stagger then to cover the P1 products that overlap. Agreed that silicone is super annoying to fuel with a single planet and 23h Extractors in Highsec. It tends to be the P1 Item that I am waiting for the most.

I am tempted to move to a small cluster of 3 systems that are 0.5-0.6 that also neighbour a chain of 0.4 and 0.3 planets. Run my two 4 planet P.I./R&D alts on the highsec and venture into low with my industry character with my PvP pilot as escort. Trouble is, my play time can be limited and my current setup is a quick 30 mins a day to maintian with very little risk. It nets me about 150M ISK a month, which is not that massive, but ISK is ISK.

40 planets is just silly mate! I try to make my game time not too much like work. My PvP character is part of a Null sec corp. but I refuse to dirty his skill set with P.I. :)

I am just getting into PI and plan to make a portfolio of P4 products with some POS fuel extras. I understand that PI for most is just a side job but I as a new player i intend to make it a primary source of income, at least until I get some more skills up.

I’m about almost set skill wise but I am undecided as to whether or not I should PI in low sec. I can obtain a greater yeiled in a 0.4 or 0.3 system but i’m worried that having to think about what i’m doing and stay present for such a menial task (moving products between planets) will make it too much like hard work. (I have small children so there are times when i have to go afk at short notice)Then again i’m also worried that if i settle for a 0.5 system I won’t yeild enough ISK for it to seem worth it.

I keep telling myself that most players that PI in low sec run 23 hour cycles and i can compensate in high sec by running 30 minute cycles (easier with incarna) and that surely if a low sec player ran 30 minute cycles he will need so many production factorys to keep his yeild proportionate that he will run out of grid!

You can do PI to make very good income. How much income is very good all depends on your skill level with planetary management and how much time and effort you put into it on the extraction end as well how much you put into it if your trying to make P1-P4 which takes some effort to setup and do. However all very possible.

If your a very new player or fairly new and if not all that highly skilled as yet its probably best to setup your planets in highsec. low sec does offer better yield on planetary resources however as a capsuleer you do need to pay more attention to your surroundings when in low sec to avoid trouble or hauling stuff and getting targeted there. And hauling stuff from low sec will have different transport needs that you will need to acquire as a fairly new player. T2 Industrial hauling ability.

What kind of cycle you run with planetary setup all depends on your planet location wether high, low 0.0 space. All depends on how much yield you get from a planet and how fast your storage fills up and processor can process the load to convert raw material into P1. That a bit will somewhat determine what cycle rate you use whether 5 hrs/23hrs or longer at this point in game.

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